Take action: sign the petition to free Jimmy Lai HERE.
Dear Friend:
A Hong Kong court has convicted 78-year-old entrepreneur, journalist and freedom fighter, Jimmy Lai, of “conspiring to collude with foreign forces” and “conspiracy to publish seditious materials” under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. The sentencing will take place in early January.
The conviction makes a mockery of justice and signals the end of any confidence in the Hong Kong judicial system. The Hong Kong National Security Law, imposed by the Chinese Communist Party, has at its aim, the death of dissent, the dismantling of opposition, and the rendering of nonviolent political activism essentially impossible. The fact that the CCP has criminalized peaceful free speech and international advocacy as national security threats points to the vulnerability of the regime.
Jimmy Lai is 78 years old and has endured solitary confinement for five years. Reportedly, the temperature in his cell can reach 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) in the summer. He has diabetes as well as heart and blood pressure issues. Recent reports state that he has suffered dramatic weight loss, and that he is losing his teeth and nails. He is at serious risk of dying in prison unless the international community rises immediately to his defense.
I call upon President Trump and Prime Minister Kier Starmer to hold the CCP accountable by prioritizing negotiations for Mr. Lai’s release on the basis of medical and humanitarian concerns, warning of the imposition of sanctions should Mr. Lai remain in custody. I call upon the U.S. legislature and governing bodies around the world to do the same. Jimmy Lai no longer belongs just to Hong Kong. He belongs to the world.
Hong Kong’s National Security Law was designed to chill any criticism of the CCP. May the CCP be scorched by a firestorm of criticism from every corner of the earth for its appalling abuse of the incomparable hero and prisoner of conscience, Jimmy Lai.
Take action: sign the petition to free Jimmy Lai HERE.
Background
Mr. Lai is suffering from heart palpitations and diabetes. According to the September 4, 2025 Urgent Appeal filed by his son and his lawyers, his health is deteriorating rapidly. He has endured solitary confinement with limited access to natural light for almost five years. According to his son and his legal team, Mr. Lai has received inadequate treatment for his heart condition, high blood pressure and diabetes. They are concerned that he may die in prison. He is currently 78 years old.
Jimmy Lai has been charged with alleged “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” under the controversial Hong Kong Security Law. Human rights groups, as well as 50 United States Senators, have rightly characterized these charges as politically motivated. These charges are designed to punish Jimmy Lai for his passionate, effective and self-sacrificial advocacy for free speech and democracy, and to intimidate others from taking a similar stand.
By shining a light on the human rights atrocities of the Chinese Communist Party, Jimmy Lai has become a beacon of hope for the people of Hong Kong and the world. He has sacrificed his own personal freedom for that of his beloved Hong Kong. He is a man of heroic virtue and towering moral excellence. The CCP is doing everything it can to extinguish the man and snuff out the hope. We must not allow this to happen.
Take action: sign the petition to free Jimmy Lai HERE.
